The Indiepub Blog

Bad Idea: NCAA Ejects Live Blogger

June 11, 2007 11:38 AM Posted by mac

From the Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.):

"A Courier-Journal sports reporter had his media credential revoked and was ordered to leave the press box during the NCAA baseball super-regional yesterday because of what the NCAA alleged was a violation of its policies prohibiting live Internet updates from its championship events."

I understand the NCAA's initial reaction: technically, the C-J reporter was live blogging the event, which means he was kinda-sorta broadcasting (in a text-based, not-at-all-broadcasting way).

But the NCAA is putting itself in a precarious position -- I just can't see how this ban would hold up in court because a monopoly on broadcast rights is one thing, but a monopoly on media types is another. Sure, the NCAA can swing exclusive broadcasting deals, but a ban on live blogging means someone will need to also secure a blogging exclusive ... and that's where the slope gets slippery. If a news outlet gets a blogging exclusive, what's to stop print publications from demanding their own coverage exclusives? And how are exclusives doled out? Does it go to the highest bidder? And doesn't this open the door to all sorts of First Amendment challenges?

Also, does the NCAA want to limit its exposure through exclusivity? What's the tipping point between exclusive coverage revenue and the revenue generated by wide media exposure?

Even if this ban does hold up, how will it be enforced? Apps like Twitter are tied into text messaging, so updates could easily be posted via cell phone. And as Dan Gillmor at the Center for Citizen Media notes, what's to stop a sports reporter (or anyone) from live blogging an exclusive TV broadcast?

This is gonna get messy.

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